Cross River pensioners groan over non-payment of gratuities

The Cross River State Council of Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has decried non-payment of pensions and gratuities of its members by the state government, even as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation of over N25.6b released to the state by Federal Government to settle outstanding indebtedness to workers. Break down of the money under investigation include; N7.8bn bailout fund, N11.3bn and N6.5bn Paris Club loan refunds.

Acting Chairman of the Union, Comrade Emmanuel Adie Ntamu, said in Calabar over the weekend that they have been reduced to beggars and refugees, following ill treatment meted out to them by government and contrary to claims, the state has not paid their gratuity since 2013.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and Senior Special Assistant Media Mr. Christian Ita had, in an earlier reaction, said: “the government inherited backlog ofgratuity right from Donald Duke’s (former governor) time totalling over N20bn and we have paid up to 2015. Nobody is owing local government salary, all those things are in the past”.

On the Paris and bailout fund, he said, “before the bailout fund came, we paid gratuity up to 2013 and even former chairmen and councilors of local governments have been paid their severance. How much was the bailout fund? The two tranches were roughly about N12b. Gratuity alone needs over N20b.”